The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of Colocasia commonly known as the taro plant or elephant ears. Colocasia is grown as a food crop or for use as an ornamental for container or the landscape. The new cultivar is known botanically as Colocasia esculenta and will be referred to hereinafter by the cultivar name ‘PINEAPPLE PRINCESS’. ‘PINEAPPLE PRINCESS’ is one of five applications by the inventor relating to new cultivars of Colocasia. The other four applications are titled Colocasia plant named ‘Hawaiian Eye’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 19,884), Colocasia plant named ‘Blue Hawaii’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 20,003), Colocasia plant named ‘Diamond Head’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 19,939) and Colocasia plant named ‘Hilo Bay’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 20,108).
Colocasia is a tuberous rooted perennial which is native to tropical Asia and Polynesia. It grows to 1.5–2 m in height from starchy tubers. The leaves of Colocasia are heart-shaped and very large in size. The tuberous roots are cooked and eaten as a starchy staple in many tropical areas. It is also grown as ornamental plants for the landscape in warmer climates or as a container plant in colder areas.
The new Colocasia variety named ‘PINEAPPLE PRINCESS’ is the product of a formal breeding program carried out in a cultivated area in Kula, Hi. The purpose of the breeding program is to develop new commercial varieties by combining attributes not found in currently commercially available varieties.
‘PINEAPPLE PRINCESS’ is a seedling selection from the controlled pollination between the female parent variety ‘2001-52’ (unpatented) and male parent breeding line ‘2002-41’ (unpatented). Initially designated as ‘2004-39’, ‘PINEAPPLE PRINCESS’ was derived as a single plant selected in 2004.
The new variety ‘PINEAPPLE PRINCESS’ has large yellow-green colored leaves with purple veins on the upper and lower leaf surface, a matte finish, and undulating purple leaf margins. ‘PINEAPPLE PRINCESS’ produces burgundy colored petioles. The leaves are ⅓ to ½ times larger than its male parent and 2 to 3 times larger than its female parent. The male parent, ‘2002-41’, exhibits greenish-purple colored leaves with a matte finish, a smooth margin, and light purple venation. The petioles are dark purple in color with a matte finish. The female parent, ‘2001-52’ exhibits smaller violet leaves with a purple spot on the upper leaf surface at the point of leaf and petiole attachment and a undulating margin. In these aspects, this new variety differs from its parents.
The closest comparison variety known to the inventor is ‘Ruffles’ (unpatented), its closest commercial variety. PINEAPPLE PRINCESS produces light yellow-green leaves with light purple veins and an undulating purple leaf margin compared to ‘Ruffles’ which exhibits a green leaf with an undulating leaf margin. PINEAPPLE PRINCESS produces a uniform burgundy colored petioles compared with ‘Ruffles’ that exhibit green petioles. PINEAPPLE PRINCESS produces a uniform compact plant compared with the tall ‘Ruffles’ plant.
The most commonly employed means of asexual propagation of the genus Colocasia is the excision and replanting of a shoot which consists of the apical 1 cm–2 cm portion of the plant corm with the attached basal 15 cm–20 cm portion of the petiole. In regions of the world where Colocasia is grown, this plant shoot is known as a “huli”, and the means of propagation is known as “huli propagation”. Asexual propagation of hulis of ‘PINEAPPLE PRINCESS’ began in 2004 in Hawaii by the inventor using huli propagation whereby the apical shoots are separated from the plant by cutting the shoot at the top of the corm immediately above the newest leaf scar and planted. Evaluation in field and pot studies have shown the unique features of ‘PINEAPPLE PRINCESS’ to be stable, uniform, and reproduces true to type in successive generations of asexual propagation.